Clinical and psychological assessment of the variability of schizotypal personality disorder in children and adolescents

Abstract

To analyze the variability of violations of cognitive and emotional-personal parameters in schizotypal disorder (STD) in children and adolescents according to the pathopsychological profile. 47 patients with STD were examined, 21 of them with psychopathic variant (F21.4), 16 with neurotic (F21.3) and 10 with personality schizotypal disorder (F21.8) aged 9 to 16 years (37 boys and 10 girls). All patients were examined in detail by a psychiatrist and clinical psychologists. The method of integrative assessment of the pathopsychological profile was used, including the assessment of the presence and severity of impairments in cognitive functioning, emotional-personal and motivational-volitional spheres (the assessment was carried out according to detailed psychological reports). Mathematical processing of the obtained data was carried out. Cluster analysis of clinical and psychological indicators showed that patients differ in the level of intellectual impairment, as well as in the characteristics of motivational-volitional and personal spheres. Three clusters are described, two of which included patients (10 and 31 patients) with individual variants of STD with a greater severity of various cognitive deficits, and parameters of the emotional and personal sphere, the last cluster included 6 patients with personality variants of STD. A separate largest cluster included all three analyzed variants of STD in approximately equal proportions, with a mildly pronounced intellectual decline and more noticeable changes (deficiency) in the emotional and personal sphere. Thus, patients with STD differ in the severity and structure of deficient changes. At the same time, the nature and degree of involvement of a particular area in the overall picture of the pathopsychological profile is of great importance. Patients with STD differ in the severity and structure of deficient changes. The identified clusters differed in age, in the presence of patients of both sexes, and in various indicators of the pathopsychological profile. At the same time, the nature and degree of involvement of a particular area in the overall picture of the pathopsychological profile is important for diagnosis.